National Park Service is ordering a ban on using drones

According to The Wall Street Journal, The National Park Service has ordered a ban on people using drones in 401 national parks in the U.S. On Friday, National Park Service Director Jonathan Jarvis signed a policy memorandum that orders superintendents of national park areas by August 20th to prohibit the landing, launching, or operating drones on federal park land or water. The park service is banning drones in response to safety concerns and noise complaints.

There was an incident where a drone reportedly separated some young bighorn sheep from the herd. This policy is temporary until the park service proposes specific federal regulation for drones, which would likely take around 18 months.

The national parks include 59 places, including Yellowstone and Grand Canyon along with national monuments. Violating the drone ban could carry a maximum penalty of $5,000 and six months in jail.

Park rangers were instructed to use their discretion and handle violations lightly. The rangers could kindly request drone users to put it away.